The Golden Card
by Ryumaru
Summary: A hidden treasure locked inside an ancient pyramid. A God defying everything to protect it. And an Egyptian girl whose life hangs in the balance....... Please read. Story better than summary. :
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Hello everyone! This is the first Fan Fiction I've ever posted, so I hope everyone enjoys it.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, sadly. :( Wish I did. Kazuki Takahashi owns and created Yu-Gi-Oh. I own all my OC's though. So at least I own something! *hopeful look*

******

It was silent, but the rustling of robes broke the silence of the ancient tomb. A tomb that encased a great secret, a secret, and a history, Egypt dared not speak. An altar lay untouched before the form of a hooded figure.

The air was still, silent, and untouchable. Atop this altar, floating, and encased in what could only be described as a small pyramid of see through white light, was a rectangular object.

This object was covered in a beautiful, but old, purple cloth, gold border. And there, in the middle of the cloth, was a gold millennium eye. This object released a sense of beauty, but a beauty that was as old as time, and long forgotten by man.

A torch was lit with a small flame, lighting the entrance to a small corridor of steps. The ceiling was low, and looking at the hooded figure who was quite tall, it seemed impossible for the figure to have come from such a small opening.

The room itself was small, and square, barely able to hold the figure at it's full height. With steady, but gentle hands, the figure removed it's hood.

There, standing in the flickering light of the torch, stood a very handsome man. His red eyes were gentle, clashing with his tall frame, and making him seem slightly intimidating. He had long red hair, thin, and down to his lower back.

His face was angular, too perfect for a man, but the look made him look, in no way, female. This was definitely a man, and a very good looking one at that.

He was smiling softly, gently. His cloak was a dark red, the same eye upon the cloth, on the back of his cloak. The golden, millennium eye seemed to look at everything, watching the back of the man as if danger approached.

Quickly, the man raised his hands to the clothed, rectangular object. His hands slipped through the pyramid of light, and once the object was in his hands, the pyramid of white, see through light flickered, then disappeared.

He nodded, once, a quick curt nod – he acknowledged the disappearance of the pyramid of light. He was a gentle man, even to something as small as a pyramid of light.

And then he turned, facing the small corridor of steps, tucking the purple cloth, and the object wrapped inside it, into his right sleeve. Then he bent, got to his knees, and crawled through the small passage to the other side, the torch going out behind him.

He made his way, quietly, through a few more empty rooms, and a few more tight passages, torches going out as he did.

Finally, it seemed, after reaching a large spacious room, the man's journey was over. There, not too far, was the exit. Glancing out, one could see the huge sandstorm fighting outside.

Only one torch was lit in the large chamber, causing only a small patch of light to illuminate barely even half the room, but it was enough for the man in red.

He took a step toward the exit, and the storm on the other side, when a hand roughly grabbed his upper arm, and he turned his head to the side, gazing into the face of a woman.

The woman was as unearthly as the man. Her beauty higher than that of a normal woman. She had red, fire-like hair, unlike the man's that was a darker red, and flaming, searing orange-red like eyes. Her hair was twisted up into a spiky bun, making her hair look like fire.

She, too, wore a cloak, but her's had no hood, and barely covered her entire frame, small though she was. The cloak only reached the back of her knees, torn at the bottom, as if put through a shredder. Unlike her companion, her cloak was black, with no eye on the back.

Squeezing the man's arm slightly tighter, through clenched teeth, she hisses, "What took you so damn long, you idiot!?"

Blinking, the man raised his hands up in mock surrender, sweat dropping slightly. "Well, I had to navigate my way back, and those passages, well, they were small, and I'm, well, not."

Roughly letting him go, the woman placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him, still hissing through her teeth. "_Navigate? _It's a clear path straight through from here to there!"

A few nervous laughs made their way past the man's lips. "But the passages–"

The woman grabbed him by the collar of his cloak, causing him to emit a strangled grunt, and pulled him so his nose was pressed against hers. "So!? Your a God, act like one!"

One moment, the man, this God, was in mock surrender to the woman, and the next, she was behind his out stretched arm. His eyes bore into the shadows at the exit, his face no longer relaxed or joking. He narrowed his eyes, the woman behind him doing the same.

Everything was silent, and then two figures, also in hooded cloaks, approached from the darkness of the shadowy entrance to the pyramid.

One was tall and thin, the other was tall too, but much more muscular in build. The muscles weren't huge, or atrocious, but radiated strength, and power. The tall and thin one wore a tan-gold like cloak, with bright gold lining, and a millennium eye perched on the back.

The muscular one wore a dark blue cloak, a millennium eye upon the back of that cloak as well. The one in the blue cloak threw back his head, knocking away the hood carelessly.

This was another man, with dark blue spiky hair and a slightly brighter shade of blue for his eyes. His face was much more defined, much more manly, in a sense, than the one in red. The man in blue was smirking, his eyes dark and cloudy.

A few moments passed before the man with the gold lined cloak removed his hood with his hands. Another handsome face greeted the walls of the pyramid. He had tan-gold hair, and bright gold eyes. Unlike his companion in blue, his eyes were gentle, kind, but a darkness loomed in them.

The golden man's hair was thin, like the man in red, but reached past, down to his ankles, two thin strands hanging down in front. Golden Egyptian clasps were clamped onto the two strands of hair that hung over the golden man's shoulders.

The man in gold broke the silence. "You have it, don't you, Slifer the Sky Dragon? We don't want to hurt you."

His voice, too, was gentle, and kind, but like his eyes, a foreboding darkness made itself known in the golden man's voice.

The man in red, known as the card, Slifer the Sky Dragon, straightened his posture, and grinned. "I have not the slightest clue of what your talking about."

The golden man's smile never faded, and he didn't move. He was calm as he spoke, unwavering. "Don't play dumb, Slifer. You would not be here for any other reason."

Slifer blinked, then looked lazily around the spacious room, his gaze falling back to the two others like himself. "Oh, well, I do like the design of this room. I wonder if the decorator is still alive, maybe I could ask him if–"

The blue man had Slifer rammed into a wall before he could finish his statement. He heard the woman call his name in slight concern, but he paid no heed, and fixed the blue man before him with an icy glare. "I do so hate to be interrupted, Obelisk."

The blue man, Obelisk the Tormentor, another card, huffed at Slifer, pushing him slightly harder into the pyramid's stone wall. "And I hate bothersome traitors who–"

"Enough."

The one word from the golden man silenced both. "Obelisk, release him." Begrudgingly, Obelisk did as he was told, and moved back behind the man in gold.

The woman rushed to Slifer's side, and helped him up from the ground, to which, once on his feet, he motioned for her to stay where she was.

He and the golden man met in the middle, a hand shake away. "Slifer......I do not want to use force, so please, just hand it over."

Behind the golden man, Obelisk cracked his mighty knuckles, and grinned. Slifer kept his gaze steady on the golden man. There was no way out. If he didn't give them what they wanted, they would force it from him.

Gritting his teeth, Slifer pulled out the purple clothed object out of his left sleeve, and held it out to the golden man with bitter, cold eyes. "Take it."

The golden man smiled generously, the smile anything but kind. "I knew you would make the right choice, Slifer."

After the object was in the golden man's possession, and they were looking eye to eye once again, Slifer smiled bitterly. "Yeah, Ra, I thought you would always make the right choices too."

Finally, the Winged Dragon of Ra, smiled earnestly. There was not even a hint of darkness. "I wish it hadn't come to this either......But it has to be done, brother."

Ra moved back to Obelisk's side, the two making an unmatched pair. The fire in Obelisk's eyes died a little as he gazed at Slifer, who face had remained bitter. "Slifer."

The red eyes met his own blue. "This is the right choice. You'll know that, in time, this was right. And then, brother, we can return to the way things have always been."

And then they were gone, and softly, the bitterness drained from him, leaving only sadness, Slifer muttered to the silent pyramid, "No, Obelisk, nothing will return to what it was......"

A sudden screech made him almost face fault, and he spun to face a very angry woman. His eyes widened, his face paled, and he once again held his hands up in surrender. "Nephytys......"

This sent her into a deeper rage, and, like Obelisk had done, she rammed him into the pyramid wall. Nephytys, the card the Phoenix of Nephytys, was like a Phoenix: full of fire, and strong.

"_You idiot!?_" She screeched, or sort of hissed, at him. "How could you give them, **that**!?" She pulled him way from the wall only to shove him back into it. "You scatter brained, moronic _idiot_! I'm going to **kill **you!"

Slifer smirked, which caused Nephytys to falter in her trying to permanently bury him in the pyramid wall. After all, Slifer wasn't arrogant, and when he smirked, he was normally scheming. Nephytys narrowed her eyes warily. "Slifer....."

Slifer shook his shoulders, causing her hands to drop from him, which she crossed over her chest, still wary of him. Slifer's smirk hadn't faded. "You see, I knew they would be here, that's why we rushed to get here before they did."

Nephytys narrowed her eyes even more, and gave a curt nod. "Yes, I know that, idiot. What do you think I am, stupid like you?"

Ignoring that comment, Slifer held out his left sleeve. "I pulled **it **from this sleeve...."

Nephytys glowered at her companion and oldest friend. "Nor am I blind, Slifer. I saw you pull **it **out and give–"

He had silenced her with a wave of his left hand. Then, he held out his right, and stuck his hand into the sleeve. "But how could I pull **it **from the left sleeve, when I put **it **in my right?"

Eyes wide in disbelief, Nephytys stared at the purple cloth with a sacred treasure wrapped inside. "You.......You tricked them."

Slifer smiled nervously. "I simply made a duplicate, placed a random card into the other one, and handed it over. While, secretly, the real one was in my right sleeve."

Slifer nuzzled the purple clothed object, causing Nephytys to attempt to snatch it from him, be he placed the item back into his right sleeve. "Ah ah, Nephytys. I'll hold onto this, you get us out of this pyramid."

Grumbling about stupid red dragon Gods and their pride, Nephytys threw her head back and a large flame encased her body, before exploding into millions of tiny sparks, revealing a large, beautiful Phoenix, whose neck was bent to Slifer.

"You know, Nephytys, I really like you better in this form." Slifer smiled slyly at her, but Nephytys snorted and motioned for him to climb onto her neck.

Smiling, Slifer did so, her fire not even so much as touching him. With a large cry, Nephytys spread her wings and burst out the top of the pyramid. Slifer watched the pyramid crumble, his eyes soft. "Thank you."

Nephytys's gaze flickered back to the sky, and she couldn't help the smile that graced her features. _Idiot......_

******

All she knew was that she had to run. She ran across sand, her bare feet making a soft padding sound as she ran. She was Egyptian, but her skin was pale white, and her eyes a crystal blue.

As she ran, her knee length black hair bellowed behind her, the wind carrying it. She wore a tan dress with gold lining, the sleeves hanging loosely on her upper arms, along with the jewelery she would not part with. She had gold wrist bands 3 inches wide hanging loosely from her wrists.

Across her neck was an Egyptian necklace, small gold strands hanging down, a small millennium eye hanging from each gold strand. Finally, across her forehead was a small, thin gold band, a silver ankh in the middle, and a sapphire millennium eye on each side.

Slowly, a crumbling pyramid came into view of the Egyptian girl, and she felt herself losing consciousness. The last thing she saw was a form flying into the sky from the crumbling pyramid before she closed her eyes and let herself fall into a deep sleep.

For a moment, everything was silent, and even the wind had stopped. Then, silently, a large white light engulfed the Egyptian girl and once it had cleared, she had disappeared, and there was no trace that she had ever been there.


	2. Chapter One: Meetings and Dreams

**A/N: **Chapter One is up! We're making progress, slow progress, but still progress! ^U^ Please, read and enjoy, and if you like, review.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. :( Wish I did. Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

******

"We can go home now, thanks Rai-san." The small black haired child said dejectedly to the limo driver, his smoky eyes sad and downtrodden as he climbed inside.

The limo driver, Rai-san, simply patted the youngest Kaiba brother on the back before closing the door softly. Mokuba looked out the window, past the pounding rain, and up at the large building before him, his eyes sad.

As the limo pulled away from the building, Mokuba turned his attention to the large sign in front of the building: Kaiba Corporation Headquarters. His brother, Seto Kaiba, was always working, and had no time for the smaller Kaiba brother.

Sniffling, he wiped his eyes with one sleeve, though there were no tears. He didn't cry often, but he was upset, and wished he could, just this once.

A crackling brought his gaze up to an intercom in the ceiling of the limo. "Mokuba-sama, would you like." There was a pause, and then a few moments later, from a table in the middle of the limo, arose a plate of cookies, hot and steamy. "Some cookies?"

Mokuba smiled widely, and reached for one. "Thanks, Rai-san! Are we going home now? I don't really feel like going anywhere else today."

"Yes, of course, Mokuba-sama, whatever you wish." The intercom crackled again, and Mokuba bit into the chewy cookie, smiling at the taste.

The cookie didn't stand a chance, it was gone in under 2 minutes. His sadness depleted, Mokuba couldn't stop from smiling as he watched the falling rain outside the limo. Everything was covered in a beautiful sheen of rain, and the sky wasn't too dark, just cloudy.

"Mokuba-sama." Mokuba was startled by the sudden voice, but realized it was only Rai's voice from the intercom.

"Yes, Rai-san?" Mokuba was curious, and couldn't keep the curiosity out of his voice, which caused Rai to inwardly smile.

"If I may ask." Rai's inward smile faded. "The meeting with your brother......I suppose it didn't go well, Mokuba-sama?"

Mokuba's grin faltered, and turned to a sad smile as he gazed at the floor of the limo, swinging his legs softly back and forth. "Yeah, it's just, Seto's always so busy, and I just-" Mokuba paused a moment. "I was just lonely."

Rai smiled even though Mokuba couldn't see it because of thin panel of black glass between them. "Well, you'll just have to make sure Kaiba-sama is home for Christmas, won't you?"

Mokuba's childish glee at the word Christmas caused him to brighten immediately. "Yeah, and only a few more days until December!"

Mokuba's smile was large, and hard to dispose of, his eyes sparkling with glee. "I can't wait until Christmas is here."

Mokuba felt the limo come to a smooth halt and anxiously waited for Rai to open his door, and once the child saw the door was open, Mokuba jetted into the pouring rain, the gates of the Kaiba manor a few steps ahead.

Rai hurriedly rushed to Mokuba's side. "Mokuba-sama! You should get back into the limo before you get sick!"

Mokuba was about to ask if he could play in the rain a few moments, but something caught his child like eyes. Blinking, his smile fading, Mokuba rushed up to the crumpled form in front of the manor gates.

It was a girl!

Bending down, Mokuba saw that she was beyond drenched, and her face looked flushed, almost as if she were running a small fever. Rai hurried to his side and peeked over the boy's black hair to see what had captured his attention. "Oh, my!"

Bending down, Rai took the girl into his arms, and glanced at Mokuba. "Please get into the limo, Mokuba-sama."

Mokuba did as he was told, while Rai laid the girl opposite Mokuba and softly closed the door. Moments later, Mokuba felt the limo making it's way past the gates and up to the manor itself. Mokuba looked at the girl he'd found.

She was very pretty, and he could tell, just by looking at her, she was Egyptian. Her clothes accentuated that fact. Her hair was soaked and limp, her clothes soaked clearly through, but despite how uncomfortable it must be, she slept peacefully.

Mokuba immediately opened the door once the limo was parked, and after Rai had picked the Egyptian girl up, Mokuba told Rai, "I'll take her inside, Rai-san. Park the limo in the garage so Nii-sama doesn't get mad, and then go home."

Rai was reluctant, but at the sparkling eyes of Mokuba, eyes that hadn't been that happy in a long time, Rai agreed.

As soon as Rai left, Mokuba turned his back and hoisted the girl's front onto his back, and looped her arms across his neck. He got her across the double doors, and up the stairs. He took her into the guest bedroom right beside his brother's room, deciding she would be better situated there.

Being the kid he was, Mokuba didn't quite think through his idea of bringing her into the mansion himself. If he had, he would known of the huge puddles of water he'd left behind, and that this was the hour when the maids and butlers were on break for the evening.

Lying her on her back, gently, on the floor, he looked her over. Then he got an idea. He remembered Rai telling him that if someone was sick, they shouldn't keep their wet clothes on. Once again, if Mokuba weren't a kid, he would have noticed his second mistake, but since he was kid, he didn't notice.

He pushed back the covers and hoisted her onto the bed, climbing onto the bed himself. Once on the bed, he set to work on removing her clothes, throwing them onto the floor beside the bed. His third and fourth mistake go hand in hand.

The third mistake was not to leave soaked clothing on a very soft, very expensive carpet, but Mokuba being a child, and too interested in taking care of the girl he'd found, didn't notice, nor care even if he had.

Number four was removing her clothes, and having no set of clothes to put back on her, so he simply covered her up with the blankets on the bed, and gently, so not to wake her, jumped from the bed, kicking the wet clothes to the side.

Mokuba turned and ran from the room, returning a few minutes later with a bundle of folded clothes in his arms. They were his brothers, but when she woke up, she could wear them, until Mokuba found her something better to wear.

Mokuba promptly dropped the folded clothes onto a chair by the door, and ran to get one from his brother's study, dragging the chair into the room and sitting by the bed. Mokuba couldn't help but smile at the girl as she slept.

_ You know, I don't feel so alone anymore. _With that thought in mind, the young Kaiba brother watched the woman, waiting for her to awaken.

***[Start Dream Sequence]***

_The nights in Egypt were truly beautiful. One could see the stars for miles, hanging over the deserts and pyramids, so small, but so bright. _

_ A young woman stood on the outskirts of a small, Egyptian village. Torches were lit throughout the small village, people laughing and talking with one another. It was obvious there was a party in this quaint little town._

_ A large palace loomed above the village, mighty and strong, protective, watching over the village in silent harmony. One could hear singing, see the dancing, and everyone was smiling tonight, happy and joyous, with no worries._

_ But the woman was not part of the festivities. She was situated away from the village, standing and looking out over the desert, at the rising pyramids and twinkling stars._

_ She wore nothing extravagant, a simple white dress that fluttered to her bare feet, and some gold earrings that dangled an ankh on each. She wore no make up, and though the outfit was very simple, it showed her simplistic nature._

_ Her eyes were kind, gentle, warm and inviting. Although her eyes were kind and she was always with a simple smile, one could see the tiredness in her gaze. _

_ "You know, you are missing the party." A deep, gruff voice spoke from behind her, and she spun around, only to relax, a small smile adorning her face._

_ "Hello, Anu-kun." The woman knew the man before her, in some close way, for the use of the nickname and ending suffix._

_ He wasn't ugly, but rather nice looking, pleasing to the eyes. He was tall, about 5'10'' at the least, with a nice build of not too skinny and not too muscular. He fell right in the middle._

_ He had nice, long black hair, pulled up at the front, and combed back. His hair was nice and thin, dangling just below his middle thighs. It was his eyes that spoke volumes. They were black, dead black, and not one could read their hidden depths._

_ It was easy to tell what he was feeling by his face, but not his eyes. He wore a simple shirt and pants, complete with a cape and armor pads for his shoulders. An unsheathed sword hung by his waist, a very dangerous way of showing power._

_ This man was leaning against a village house, before pushing himself forward, and standing beside the woman. "All I get is a hello after being gone for how long?"_

_ The woman returned to her stargazing. "3 months. You were gone 3 months, Anu-kun, and all you get is a hello, because I didn't get a goodbye before you left."_

_ It was friendly bickering, a banter between friends. Anu-kun spoke lazily, as if he had all the time in the world. "If I'd told you I was leaving, you would have hit me."_

_ The woman grinned. "I would do nothing of the sort. I wasn't raised by jackals, unlike you. I do believe you'd fit in quite well."_

_ There was hidden meaning behind her statement, and the man caught it, smiling softly. "I suppose I would, then, wouldn't I?"_

_ It was silent then, only the wind speaking, bringing with it the commotion of the party. The woman's gaze lifted further upwards, a thin smile forming._

_ "Happiness." She lifted out her arms, the wind brushing against her softly. "Power." She lowered her arms, bringing her hands to her chest. "Without one, you can't achieve the other, can you, Anu-kun? Without power, you cannot achieve happiness."_

_ Anu-kun looked at her, his gaze silent, unspoken, and unreadable, before he smiled. "No, you can't. Happiness is a dream for dreamers, but power is real. With power, comes the ability to achieve greatness, and to want anything else......It's foolish."_

_ The woman rounded on him, her eyes wide in hurt, and her mouth open in a slight 'o'. "Foolish?" Her eyes flared slightly in anger. "It's foolish for me to want happiness, Anu-kun?"_

_ Anu-kun grunted, frowning softly. "We've been through this, Iria, happiness is only a dream. Even if you could achieve happiness, it would only be an illusion. Happiness doesn't exist, Iria, and that's why people with power don't go after it. They **know** it's not real."_

_ The woman, Iria, spun back around, taking a few clumsy steps out into the desert before turning toward Anu-kun again. "It's not foolish, Anu-kun! It's not an illusion! A smile is happiness. A piece of fruit to a starving man in the streets, is happiness. Moments like those, are happiness." Her eyes closed, a sad smile playing about her lips, she speaks, almost in a whisper, "Is it foolish for me to want **you **to be happy too, then?"_

_ Without a word, Anu-kun turns away, and moves in long, angry-like strides towards the village. He stops for a moment. "**Power**, Iria. **Power **makes me happy." _

_With that, he is gone, leaving Iria with only the flickering of the torches and the stars in the sky as company. Expressionless, Iria returns to looking at the sky. The laughter from the party rings through the wind and into Iria's ears, drawing a sad smile forth. "Even if it is only an illusion, let happiness remain, if only for tonight." _

_ Everything begins to fade, but one thing remains: "Without power......You cannot achieve happiness......"_

***[End Dream Sequence]***

She felt herself coming back into consciousness, and groaned softly. Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she tried to block out the throbbing of her mind, but instead, slowly, she opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw were a pair of dull lavender-gray like eyes staring into her own. She blinked a few times, before she realized it was only a kid. He was cute, with messy black hair and the stormy eyes.

He seemed to stay quiet, though he looked ready to burst with bottled up questions. Thankfully, he was giving her a little time to check her surroundings. She knew she wasn't in Egypt anymore, she didn't need to really look around to know that.

When she'd collapsed after running, she'd heard a feminine voice announce her next destination: Domino, Japan.

She wasn't an outsider, she'd been here a few times before, but not too many to really remember places or too many faces. She remembered the language well enough though.

Next, she looked around the room, her eyes going wider every minute. Either the kid was rich, or his parents were alive, and they were rich. She laid in a large King size bed with satin sheets and, taking a quick glance at the floor, very soft, expensive carpet.

The curtains over the windows looked like satin too, and most of the wood in the room was mahogany, a very exquisite wood.

Finally, she allowed herself to look back at the boy again. He looked happy she was awake, and she smiled at him in greeting. "Hello."

She saw him calm himself down, and he smiled back at her sweetly. "Hi! My name is Kaiba, Mokuba. How are you feeling? And what's your name?"

She liked this kid. "My name's Valor, Kairi, and I'm feeling great. It's nice to meet you Mokuba. So, do you mind telling me where I am, exactly?"

Mokuba nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah, sure! Your at the Kaiba Mansion." Mokuba cocked his head slightly. "Don't you remember anything? I found you outside our gates, in the rain."

Kairi smiled softly at the boy. "No, I'm afraid I don't remember how I got here, but I don't have amnesia." She giggled when his face fell. "I remember everything except how I got here."

Mokuba brightened up quickly. "I could go make you something to eat, if you'd like. You know, just in case your not feeling too well."

He was blushing, and Kairi couldn't resist ruffling his hair with a small giggle. "No thanks, I'm feeling a whole lot better, Mokuba. Are you the one who helped me in here?"

Mokuba nodded, his eyes lighting up. He was proud, she could tell with a smile. "Uh huh! I did it alone too."

The blush was back, but before she could comment on it, a loud sound echoed from downstairs, sounding like the slamming of a door.

Mokuba paled slightly, looking nervous. Kairi cocked an eyebrow at him. "It's Nii-sama. He's home, but I don't know what he'll think about you."

Kairi smirked, sitting up, the satin sheet sticking to her upper body, slowly falling downwards. She had yet to notice she was naked. "I'm sure others have thought worse."

Mokuba could hear Seto coming up the stairs, but before he could warn Kairi, the door opened......Just as the sheet on Kairi's upper body fell.

Silence.

More silence.

Then some more silence.

And then......

"WAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"


	3. Chapter Two: Iria and Atemu

**A/N: **I wanted to thank everyone who read this story thus far, and those who are reading it now. :) Thank you thank you. Read and enjoy, review if you want, or when you have time.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. :( Wish I did. Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

******

"What the _hell _did you do to my clothes?" Seto Kaiba hissed angrily to the young woman a few feet away from him.

The object of the eldest Kaiba brother's anger looked absolutely innocent as she blinked in confusion, tilting her head to the side in a subtle gesture. "What do you mean? Don't you like it?" She began to pout. "_I _don't see anything wrong with it."

What Kairi had done was alter the outfit to her liking. The silk, white shirt Mokuba had picked out for her had been long sleeved, and collared, but Kairi had disposed of the collar and half of the top of the shirt. Now, it had been cut to her upper arms, hanging loosely, like her other outfit.

The bottom of the shirt had also been cut up to the start of her ribs, showing off a great amount of her stomach. The pair of black pants lay untouched.

As for her jewelery, she kept it as it was. The bracelets were clasped over the sleeves of the silk shirt, the only difference in her jewelery, since her previous outfit had been short sleeved.

After Kaiba and Mokuba had left the room, in a rather quick hurry, and Kairi had stopped throwing objects at them in rapid succession, she had changed her clothes that Mokuba had put on the chair beside the door.

Kaiba and Mokuba had been sitting in the large living room, on a very expensive, dark blue couch. Mokuba had then proceeded to tell Kaiba how he had found Kairi outside their gates, and had taken her in from the rain.

Of course, after she had been dressed, Kairi followed their voices to the living room, where, after she had made her appearance, Kaiba had, in a fit of anger, stood to his feet and marched towards her, which is where we are now.

Still pouting, Kairi still couldn't see what she had done wrong, but Kaiba wasn't done with her yet either. "Things were fine the way they were."

Blinking, Kairi only stared at the CEO of Kaiba Corporations, before a large smile broke out over her face.

Kaiba immediately felt wary of the strange _creature _before him, his instincts raising the hairs on the back of his neck as she approached, or rather, _skipped _towards him.

Once Kairi was in a touching distance, she raised her hands swiftly, and, grabbing the eldest brother's cheeks in her hands, and pulled them apart, making his face distort in a weird smile.

Three things happened.

One, Mokuba looked at his older brother's face and burst into laughter, trying to muffle his laughter by placing a hand over his mouth.

Two, while playing with his cheeks, Kairi told him, "Why are you so grumpy all the time? Smile, smile, smile, smile all the time ~!" She had sang the last part to him.

And three, Kaiba smacked her hands away, surprised and appalled by the young girl's actions, to which, after he had smacked her hands away, she had the nerve to giggle.

After the little escapade, the living room grew silent as the two older brother's watched Kairi, as she looked around the extravagant mansion, rocking back and forth on her heels and toes.

Mokuba grinned widely, hopping away from the couch and going to stand beside his brother, grabbing the older man's sleeve. "I like her, Nii-sama."

Kaiba glanced at his little brother as if the child had lost his mind, and he was about to protest to what he knew was coming (It was pretty obvious, "I like her." meaning: "Can she stay?"), but stopped himself just in time.

Mokuba didn't look like a kid at that moment, and it left Kaiba speechless. He knew his brother was growing up, he couldn't stop it, but looking at his little brother as Mokuba watched the insane girl (Because Kaiba refused to believe she was any part sane.), he saw his brother differently.

Mokuba had a smile, his mouth slightly open in amusement, and his eyes watched the girl's every move, as if his life depended on her next one.

Kaiba couldn't help but think that Mokuba looked like a kid on Christmas, that had just received the gift they'd always wanted.

Kaiba was at a loss, and so, he turned his eyes back to the insane girl, Kairi, Mokuba had told him her name was.

He didn't see anything special, just a weird girl, rocking back and forth on her heels and toes, now popping her lips as she looked around his mansion. She wasn't from Japan, that he knew from her dressing style, and the jewelery she wore.

Yet she held his little brother at rapt attention to her every move. Not quite sure what to do, Kaiba unconsciously let out a sigh.

Slowly, Mokuba looked up at his brother, tugging on his sleeve, and smiling. "Seto, can she stay with us, please? Just for a little while?"

Kaiba showed no expression, or even sign he'd heard Mokuba's question, but he had, and now he was inwardly frowning.

Letting out a deeper, more tired sigh than the last one, Kaiba waved his hand distractedly. "Fine, she can stay."

Mokuba's face lit up with a smile as he latched his arms around his brother's waist, but Kaiba immediately pushed his brother away when he felt Kairi's gaze on him.

Mokuba didn't seem to notice the short hug, as he went straight to the girl and told her the news. "You can stay here, with us, for a while. If you want to, that is."

Immediately, Kairi bent down to ruffle the boy's hair, smiling widely. The moment was ruined when Mokuba yawned loudly, blinking drowsily.

Kaiba took action in minutes. "Mokuba, time for bed. It's late anyway, and you should have been asleep hours ago."

Mokuba nodded, a smile still on his face, and tiredly left the living room and climbed the stairs up to the second floor, where he went straight to his room.

Once the door was shut, Kaiba sighed again, this one quieter and more resigned, but kept his focus on the approaching girl.

Once she was close enough, it seemed that she lost a certain spark, growing more serious than the bubbly _thing _she'd been before.

She smiled at him softly, almost shyly, and gave a slight bow of her head. "Thank you, Kaiba-san." She turned away form him, but didn't move immediately.

He stared at her back a few moments, his patience wearing, but before he could snap at her to say what she wanted to say and get it over with, she turned to him, smiled, and said goodnight to him in a soft, shy voice.

He watched her climb the stairs and head into the room next to his own, which he assumed was Mokuba's doing.

Huffing to no one in particular, Kaiba himself started up the stairs to his own room, where he knew he would fall asleep instantly, knowing he would need all his strength tomorrow.

After all, not only did he have to deal with his kid brother and his job as CEO of Kaiba Corporations, but now he had to deal with a deranged, mentally insane girl. Life for Seto Kaiba, it seemed, was never easy.

***[Start Dream Sequence]***

_The room was large, spacious, and practically empty. There were double doors at the end of the room, and a long red carpet, which led to a gold throne. _

_ Behind the throne was a balcony, sunlight bathing the room in gold light. The glinting of the gold throne caused the room to seem almost as if on fire._

_ A warm, humid, Egyptian breeze blew in from the always open balcony, causing the woman who sat in the throne to smile peacefully. _

_ Two large guards stood beside her, jackal heads, used to represent Anubis, placed upon their heads, large spears in their hands._

_ The woman was the same as before, the one called Iria. Now, she wore more revealing clothing than the previous time._

_ She wore a tan top with gold lining, which revealed much to the eyes of others. The top only covered her breasts, with no sleeves, leaving just enough cloth to cover her cleavage. _

_ She wore a tan skirt with a large slit up the right side, ending right at her waistline, showing off a vast amount of her legs. Her jewelery was the same, but now, leaning against the right side of her throne, was a staff in the shape of an ankh, the ancient symbol of Egypt. _

_ It was made clear to all: Iria was the Pharaoh of Egypt. How long she had reigned, or even how old she was, though she looked young, remained undetermined._

_ The Pharaoh patiently waited in her throne, her small smile still in place. It wasn't long before two voices neared the throne room._

_ One was the sound of a young boy, happy and joyous, the other of a woman, her voice resigned and quiet, but still held some ounce of authority._

_ Not too much longer, a small form burst open the doors of large room, wasting no time in racing toward Iria's softly smiling form, who had stood and walked the three steps to meet the small boy, catching him in her arms as he rushed to hug her._

_ Once he had pulled away, one could tell he would one day do great things. He had tri colored hair, and light purple eyes. _

_ He wore a simple white shirt tucked messily into a pair of gold pants. A golden millennium head band wrapped around his head, a large golden millennium eye peering from the forehead of the young boy, watching everything._

_ He was happy to see her, his smile wide and his eyes shinning. Looking up, Iria smiled at the maid who had brought him, giving the woman a gentle nod, who smiled, bowed, and left to make her post at the double doors._

_ "It's been a long time, Atemu-kun. How have you been, young one? Have you behaved for Yumie-san?" Iria gave the boy a motherly pat on the head._

_ The boy nodded enthusiastically, Iria fearing Atemu's head would fall off his shoulders. "Mm hmm! I've been good, I promise! Haven't I, Yumie-san?"_

_ The young Atemu, no older than 6, had turned to the maid who waited by the double doors. She smiled, addressing Iria with a small smile. "He has, my Lady."_

_ Iria patted him on the head affectionately, smiling at him in compassion. "That's good to hear, then. And have you been behaving for yourself, Atemu-kun?"_

_ Atemu-kun, unlike any other kid who would have been confused at the question, responded immediately, his enthusiasm never fading. "Of course, Iria-nee-san. I've been very good."_

_ Iria chuckled, striding past her throne, and to the balcony, where she looked out over the small village below, and beyond even that, looking out over all that was Egypt._

_ She knew Atemu had followed her, he always did, without hesitation, unless she told him otherwise. Smiling, she laid her hand atop Atemu's head, who latched onto her skirt with his tiny hands, looking out with her._

_ The breeze brought up many smells. The smell of the sand, the smell of fruit being sold in the village, smells of horses and other animals, smells of cooking, and even the smells of the many different perfumes the Egyptian women were wearing down below._

_ It soothed Iria and played with her hair, lightly grazed her skin and made her smile softly. It was than, that she spoke. "You'll bring change, Atemu. Great change. I believe in that change, I believe in you, and I believe you will far better than I ever have."_

_ The child shook his head, pressing himself against her leg, and tightening his hold. Iria only smiled, keeping her hand upon his head. "I don't want to change. I like things the way they are. Things should stay this way."_

_ Iria closed her eyes, feeling her heartbeat, and knowing, just knowing, her heart beat with the sound of Egypt. "Change brings hope. Change brings new beginnings. In order for the world to change, we, as humans, must change first."_

_ Atemu didn't let go, nor did he strengthen his hold. Iria knew he understood, but she also knew he didn't want to. "Atemu. You are hope. You are change. You will make a new beginning for Egypt, and bring an end to my rule."_

_ She felt rather than heard his silent crying. He didn't want her to know, so she pretended she didn't, and she didn't open her eyes. "Atemu, to the darkness......You are light."_

_ She didn't make a sound, no tears rolled down her face, but with the child holding onto her, silently crying, she cried too. She did not shed a tear, but she cried, because as Atemu held onto her, the sky opened up, and Egypt cried, and as the rain fell, Iria cried._

_***[End Dream Sequence]***_

**End Note: **I wasn't too satisfied with this chapter, but I guess it turned out okay. ^^ I hope everyone enjoys this, and I'll try to update a little more. With school starting back up, I'll try my hardest.


	4. Chapter Three: Cooking Surprise

**A/N: **Wow, that last chapter was pretty sad, to me, but that might be just because I'm the author. ^U^ Well, I hope everyone continues to read The Golden Card, and I want to thank everyone who has so far. Enjoy, read and review if you want.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. :( Wish I did. Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

******

She stirred, slowly opening her eyes, and blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings. Slowly, her mind caught up with her, and she remembered, bit by bit, where she was. Once her mind had caught up to her, she sat up in the bed, the satin sheets shifted comfortably around her body.

She smiled as she fingered the satin, feeling the texture beneath her fingers, and giggling, falling back onto the bed. This caused the pillows around her to jump from the bed slightly. _I can't believe I'm here! In a mansion! A REAL mansion!_

She squealed softly in delight, so as not to wake the others in the mansion, considering it was very early, around dawn her internal clock told her.

She sighed happily as she sat up again, removing the sheets, and slipping her bare feet to land on the carpeted floor, smiling widely as her feet just seemed to sink in the fluffy carpet. It was nice, and she loved the feeling of walking barefoot on a carpet like this.

Turning towards the door, she was momentarily surprised to find some of Kaiba's clothes sitting on the chair beside the door, as if waiting for her to wake up and find them sitting there. Humming quietly, Kairi walked towards the clothes, noticing a slip of paper.

Picking it up, she read it aloud, "Dear Kairi. These clothes are for you, I got them from brother's closet. We'll have to get you some girl clothes!" Kairi giggled at Mokuba's scrawled handwriting, but below that, there were more words.

The handwriting was more defined then Mokuba's, and Kairi knew it had to have come from Kaiba. It only read on line, but it made Kairi smile as she read it aloud softly. "Don't mess with my clothes, at all."

Giggling, remembering to keep her voice down, Kairi made her way silently to a mahogany wood dresser with a square mirror, mahogany wood framing it, with the intricate pattern of vines and a flower Kairi didn't know.

Looking at the drawers, Kairi pulled the top one open, seeing it was empty. At first, she didn't know what to do with the drawer, or why she had opened it in the first place, but taking a glance at the note in her hand, Kairi flipped the note into the drawer and closed it.

Making her way back to the clothes, she picked them up into her arms, and her eyes landed on a closed door attached to her room, beside the dresser with the mirror. Her smile widened when she realized it was her own personal bathroom. _I can take a nice, hot bath! Yes!_

With a purpose in her mind, Kairi made her way to the door, opening it slowly, making sure it was a bathroom, but at the familiar sight of a large square tub, she nearly squealed in delight.

Instead, she settled for doing a small victory dance as she set the clothes on the bathroom counter, glancing at the large mirror on said counter, above a round sink. Smiling, she slowly removed her jewelery, placing it on the neatly folded clothes.

She closed the door with her foot, keeping it from slamming, and made her way to the bathtub, turning on the water. As she let the water fill the tub, after plugging the drain of course, she hummed softly again as she removed her clothes, and let them fall to the floor.

She turned the water off, sticking a leg over the bathtub, and sighing pleasurably at the warmth of the water. She could feel the steam from the hot water enveloping her, and her smile became one of bliss, as she let the rest of her body into the water, sinking down until only her head remained above water level.

Her black hair splayed itself across the water's surface, as she allowed her head to slip beneath the water. It was a few seconds before she reemerged with a comfortable sigh, her hair now wet. She closed her eyes, relishing the relaxation and peace she had around her.

Sighing regrettably, Kairi picked up a bottle of shampoo, and washed her hair, giggling, before dunking her head beneath the water as if she were a child. She resurfaced moments later, still giggling behind a hand over her mouth.

Bubbles form the shampoo floated amongst the water, and she popped one, making it harder to stifle her giggles which were threatening to become laughs.

She spotted some soap and a fluffy rag on the edge of the bathtub, and her suspicions were confirmed: Mokuba had obviously known she would want a bath, and prepared it for her. She knew he must have done it while she and his brother slept.

It brought a peaceful smile to her face, thinking of a sweet kid like Mokuba. She finsished washing with a large smile, and stood up, water dripping from her body and her hair. She bent down to unplug the drain and stepped out, onto soft carpet (Even in the bathroom!), grabbing a towel on the towel rack beside the tub.

She dried her body first, and then walked toward the clothes, remembering Kaiba's warning, and smiling wider. She did as he asked, and did nothing to the clothes. This shirt was blue, and soft to the touch. It was a button up shirt, and she buttoned it up, enough to where her cleavage didn't pop out, but to where it didn't button up all the way. She also fixed her jewelery, after she'd buttoned the shirt.

She couldn't stop the snorting giggles triyng to break free when she noticed that she was wear to a pair of Kaiba's boxers until Mokuba and she went shopping for proper underwear. But that wasn't why she was laughing. Obviously, Kaiba didn't know what pair of boxers Mokuba had picked, or the little kid would be dead.

There, held in her hand, was a pair of dark blue boxers.......With chibi Blue Eyes White Dragons printed all over the pair of boxers. Stiffling her laughter, she pulled them on, noting how comfortable they actually were. _Wow, these things are really comfy. No wonder guys like them!_

Kairi pulled on a pair of black pants again, but she didn't both with the socks. She liked to walk barefoot anyway, it was much more natural to her. She picked up her dirty clothes and folded them neatly, and, opening the door to the bathroom, walked back into her room. She deposited the clothes onto the chair by the door, knowing they would be taken care of, and head straight towards the dresser and the mirror.

She smiled triumphantly when she saw a myriad of make up and different types of hairbrushes and combs. She was sure there was even a hair dryer in the bathroom somewhere, but she liked to let her hair dry on it's own. This also seemed more natural to her.

Taking a small bristled brush, watching her reflection in the mirror, she brushed her hair. She took her time, enjoying the strokes of the brush in her hair. It was a time of peacefulness for a girl when she could brush her hair in peace. At least, to Kairi it was.

After her hair had been thoroughly brushed, and the brush put in it's rightful place, Kairi looked at the make up. She smiled, taking a stick of black eye liner, mascara, and some golden eye shadow. After all, she was still Egyptian, and she had to at least do her make up as such. If the jewelery didn't give it away, her make up would.

She applied the eye liner in dark lines below her eyes, and then inching off to make a straight line from the corner of her eye to a few inches away, giving her a cat like look. She then applied mascara, and finally, the golden eye shadow.

With the golden jewelery, the eye shadow was a nice touch, and the black eye liner brought out her eyes, and she smiled at her reflection in the mirror, giving a giggle.

After she'd done her make up, she turned to her bed, and deftly made it, straightening the pillows as they'd been before she'd slept on the bed. Yes, she knew they had maids, but hey, she was helping them out a little.

Deeming her bed made, Kairi nodded to herself smugly, then slapped herself in the forehead. _Wow, I acted like I'd never made a bed before! _

Shaking her head at herself, Kairi headed toward the door that would lead her to a hallway, and to the stairs that led to the dining hall, where she was sure breakfast would be.......Or at least the same direction as the kitchen so she could get herself something to eat.

Humming quietly, she opened her door and made her way to the top of the stairs that led down. She stopped, and took a look around, and she couldn't believe her eyes.

The mansion was truly beautiful, even majestic in a way. The floor out here, unlike in her room, was a type of beautiful marble. The stairs were the same, and the railings were golden, patterns carved across the gold in a complex manner.

And even though she was barefooted, the marble felt good on her shoeless feet. It was cold, but felt good against her feet. She placed her left hand daintily on the railing and made her way down the staircase. She felt like a Princess going to a ball as she walked down the stairs, and she could almost see a man at the bottom, waiting for her.......

Blinking, Kairi stepped off the last step, a blush dusting across her cheeks. _How could I just __**think **__that? A man waiting at the bottom of the stairs? A Princess? What am I, some romantic pining little girl? _

Shaking her head, and hoping the blush was gone, Kairi walked across the living room, and toward the door that led to the dining room, two large, double doors next to the large flat screen T.V. In the living room.

Opening one, Kairi deftly ducked inside, shutting the door quietly behind her. It was obvious it was really early, since the maids and the butlers didn't even seem to be up, which meant she had to fend for herself in the kitchen.

She took a right, coming across a single wooden door, and ducking inside. Bingo! There, in all it's glory, was a large kitchen. Blinking, a large smirk grew across Kairi's face as she picked up an apron she saw hanging from the back of the wooden door, and tied it about her waist. Hell was about to be unleashed.

******

Mokuba snickered, but Kaiba found the whole situation anything but funny. He'd been woken by Mokuba saying that their _guest _(Kaiba wanted to call her a lot of other things) had a surprise for them, and they were to wait in the dining room.

That was the easy part. The hard part was when Kairi came out. She looked as if she'd just had the greatest struggle of her life, and on her part, she had. Kairi smiled nervously as a few maids brought out the food and set it on the table.

Of course, Kaiba was suspicious, especially by Kairi's disheveled appearance. Her hair was a mess, and covered in what looked like flour, or some type of dough. She wore an apron tied at the waist, which was also covered in the flour like substance.

Her face was smudged with what looked like cookie dough, and some of the blotchy stuff was also in her hair. He noticed all of this as she sat across from him and his brother, giving a sheepish, but rather hopeful, smile to them both.

Keeping his eyes on her every so often, Kaiba slowly ate the pancakes spread out on his plate while Mokuba, on the other hand, was eating his food as if he wouldn't live if he didn't.

And Kaiba had to admit, the taste was slightly different than usual, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what tasted different, or whether it was a good taste or bad taste. As she watched them eat, Kaiba saw a flicker of what looked like relief cross her features, but it was quickly replaced by her overzealous smile.

"So, Mokuba, Kaiba, how is the food?"

Kaiba's gaze flickered to the maids, who looked as if they were hiding something, furthering his suspicion that Kairi had done something.

Mokuba took no moment of hesitation and swiftly replied, "It's great, Kairi-chan! You made these pancakes didn't you? They taste great!"

As Kairi conversed happily with his brother, Kaiba took note of the different taste he'd experienced earlier. It was good. The girl may have sanity problems, but Kaiba had to admit, with slight hesitation, that her cooking was indeed, quite good. And as he watched her and his brother joke around with each other, he couldn't help but think that letting her stay might not be so bad. Of course, **might **being the keyword. Although Kaiba couldn't help but think, _just what......Have I gotten myself into?_

******

**End Note: **I'm so sorry I haven't updated in about a week. Final exams at school almost KILLED me! But, well, here's the latest chapter. I hope everyone likes it. ^U^


	5. Chapter Four: The God and the Phoenix

**A/N: **Hi hi everyone! ^U^ Next chapter of my Yu-Gi-Oh story is finally up! I'm getting there. :) Well, thanks for reading, and I hope everyone enjoys.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. :( Wish I did. Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

******

It was now December, and only a week had passed since Kairi's arrival at the Kaiba mansion. Of course, Mokuba and Kairi got along great, but Kaiba and Kairi.....Well, let's just say, their relationship still needed some work.

It was Sunday night at the Kaiba manor, and the next morning, Kairi was to start school at Domino High. This, of course, made Kaiba want to rip his hair out, which Mokuba found quite funny. Kairi was sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the dark blue couch in the living room, with Mokuba sitting above her.

Kaiba was sitting as far away from the two as he could, which wasn't far, but it seemed to suit him pretty well.

"Ne, Kairi-chan, are you nervous about school tomorrow? Have you ever been to school before?" Makuba asked, keeping his voice low.

Kairi looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, I'm nervous, and no, I've never been to school before. I can't wait for tomorrow."

Kairi's excited face flashed with the multitude of colors from the T.V. Screen, giving her a multi-colored face, to which Mokuba had to stifle laughs from. This caused Kaiba to frown and glance over at the two in warning, who immediately straight up like statues, watching the T.V., as if they hadn't even spoken at all.

Of course, Kairi can get bored very easily, and with the bowl of popcorn in her lap, well, she would find entertainment. And she did......In the form of throwing a popcorn piece at Kaiba's head. Kaiba blinked, Mokuba stared, and Kairi's eyes widened innocently.

And then Mokuba was watching over the top of the couch, laughing, as Kaiba chased Kairi around, who still had the bowl of popcorn and was throwing popcorn at Kaiba as he chased her. Of course, she yelped, or screamed, or made another type of sound everytime she threw a piece, causing Mokuba to laugh even harder.

The movie droned on in the background, overpowered by the power of popcorn.

******

"I'm going to rip that damn dragon apart! I'm going to tear out his eyes and–" Obelisk the Tormentor was interrupted by his fellow God, Ra.

"Please, Obelisk, calm yourself. Slifer is our brother, traitor though he may be to our cause. He **will** turn to us soon enough." Ra held the fake card in his palm, and with a simple look, it burst into flame. "Soon, Obelisk, Slifer will understand that he will not win, and that doing what he is doing is pointless, even to himself."

Obelisk snorted. "That damn dragon is too stubborn to admit defeat. You should have let me kill him back in the pyramids."

Ra only gave what looked like a brotherly smile, but held no emotion whatsoever. "Then we would never find the real card's location. Only Slifer knows it now. He will not willingly tell us, but as I mentioned, he will return to us. And then, he will tell us."

Obelisk smiled, a hateful smile. "Then I'll kill the damn traitor. Ra, even if he returns to our cause, as you think he will, what makes you think he will stay loyal?"

Ra stayed silent for a moment, then, letting the ashes fall into the desert sand, he smiled. "Because we are brothers."

The destroyed ruins of the pyramid lay stretched before Ra and Obelisk, all it's caverns forever lost. "Not anymore Ra. Slifer has always been this way. He has never been a true brother to us. The dragon doesn't even act like a God."

Ra seemed to agree with this. "Yes, he does not act his part, but perhaps that is what makes him strong. A God is not a God who flaunts, Obelisk."

The giant man of blue frowned. "I do not flaunt my power, but I am comfortable enough to be open with it. Ra, do not deny what your eyes have seen."

Ra sighed, the sound making the God seem aged and old. "I have seen many things, Obelisk. As have you. And Slifer also. What am I to see?"

Obelisk was speechless for a moment. "Even as a child, Slifer was never meant to be God. Ra, let him go, and let him die with his cause. There is no brother left to save."

Ra looked to the rising sun, before giving Obelisk a what would have seemed sad smile. "There is nothing left to save in this world at all. Yet Slifer protects it with all his might."

Obelisk smirked, showing dangerous fangs. "Then if he stands against us, let him fall before us!"

Ra turned back to the sun. "The sun falls to the moon, yet the moon falls to the sun. There is no victor in Day and Night, nor shall there be between brothers."

Obelisk didn't let Ra's comment detour him. "That wench, Nephytys, has corrupted Slifer. She and Slifer have been working together for years, Ra. Why can't you see what is right in front of you!?"

By now, at the last question, Obelisk's voice had become a roar, shattering the stillness. Ra did nothing but continue to stare at the sun. "Because seeing and accepting are two different things. I may see what is going on, but I do not have to accept it as it happens."

Obelisk watched Ra as he moved through the pyramid's rubble. "Nephytys was Slifer's best friend. She was there where we brothers could not be. And where were we, Obelisk?"

Obelisk blinked, but found he couldn't remember. "I....I don't know."

Ra turned and stared at him. "When Slifer was alone, when the God he is now could have been lost forever, she saved him. His life is hers, though Nephytys knows not the great miracle she has done. Slifer, make no mistake, will never forget."

***[Start Dream Sequence]***

_A small boy with red hair sat in the desert, all alone, and drawing circles in the sand. Anyone could see he was lonely, and with the red rimmed eyes, one could not deny he'd been crying. As he played with the sand, the little red haired child never noticed the approaching little girl._

_ "Hey, you, little boy! Don't you know that boys don't cry?" The girl's words would have been harsh, had she not been such a cute little girl in the boy's eyes. _

_ He blinked up at her, and thought, for just a moment, her red hair was on fire, but when he blinked and looked again, he saw that it wasn't. "Yeah, but......I'm lonely."_

_ The girl snorted, and without invitation, plopped herself down in the sand. She was only 5, with an attitude. She had red hair and red eyes, and she looked rough, even mean. She wore a simple shirt and breeches, with a cape thrown over her shoulders._

_ For a moment, both children were silent, and then, with an annoyed groan, the girl puffed her cheeks out angrily. "Don't you know how to introduce yourself?"_

_ The red haired boy was about to happily tell her, when he remembered exactly who he was. Saddened, he slumped downward. Then, a soft hand touched his own, and he looked at his hand to see a smaller, more smooth hand covering his._

_ Without looking, without blushing, without even any amount of hesitation, he said in a strong voice, "My name is Slifer."_

_ When he looked at the girl, she was smirking. "Good boy. Now, my name is Nephytys. You better remember it, or you'll regret not doing so!"_

_ And Slifer, with all his powers as God, knew she meant it. At that moment in time, when Slifer looked at Nephytys, he saw what looked like wings made of fire flowing from her back, and seemingly to make her glow. He murmured, loud enough for her to hear, "Your beautiful."_

_ Nephytys blinked, Slifer tried to give her his best "manly" look, which failed. Nephytys's eye twitched, causing Slifer's eyes to widen. Hissing, Nephytys called him an idiot and slapped upside the head, which caused Slifer to question what he had done. _

_ Before long, the two children were playing in the desert sand, rolling around and wrestling with one another. It wasn't until they were stretched out in the sand, on their backs, right next to each other and holding hands, that Slifer realized how delicate Nephytys really was._

_ Her hand was soft, smooth, but also thin, and smaller than his own. And at that moment, Slifer vowed to protect the phoenix that had made him reborn._

***[End Dream Sequence]***

Slifer opened his red eyes and blinked away the remnants of his far away dream, sitting up slightly. He looked around for a moment, sleep leaving him as he began to realize his whereabouts. He was in a cave. By the looks of it, the cave was used frequently, and it was.

The cave was Nepyhtys' cave, and located a good few feet underground. Speaking of the red haired woman, Slifer's head snapped to look for her, in a moment of panic, thinking she had been harmed, but he found her sleeping on her side, right next to him.

Her face was towards him, and she slept with her mouth open slightly, her breathing relaxed and calm. Slifer's eyes softened, and he placed a hand on her head. When she slept was when she was most like a woman.

Her eyes were soft and relaxed, as was her face, and her smile. She was at ease with herself, not pretending, nor needing, to be strong. Leaning his head against the cool stone, Slifer whispered to the sleeping woman next to him, "But with me, you don't need to be strong."

Slifer took in a deep breath before standing up and stretching. Taking a quick glance at Nephytys' form, he took off his red cloak and draped it over her as she slept.

Slifer made his way to the lip of the cave, and, with a red flash of his eyes, he became the mighty dragon he was meant to be. With a small roar, the dragon Slifer took off into the misty sky, letting the mist hide his anguished roars.

Nephytys opened her eyes, her mouth forming a tight line. She sat up as if she'd been burned, but looking at Slifer's cloak, she pulled it to her, and wrapped herself within it's comforting embrace. Only her head poked through.

Closing her eyes, Nephytys bit her lip, and cried, listening as Slifer cried to the sky. Sobbing, she whispered, "But with you, Slifer, I don't want to be weak."

As a dragon roared it's pain, a phoenix cried. Thus is the price of a rebirth, of a friendship made, and a life saved: a love that can never be.


	6. Chapter Five: No Name, Many Faces

**A/N:** ...I am so terribly sorry for this extremely late update, but my poor baby (laptop) contracted some nasty viruses...So, to the shop it went! So I apologize, and thank everyone for sticking with the story this far.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. :( Wish I did. Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Kairi looked at herself in the mirror above her dresser. Her hair was flat against the school blouse, the skirt accentuating her legs. She still wore her golden wristbands and her ankle bracelet, refusing to be without them.

Kairi twirled, smiling as her hair flew about. Taking a deep breath, the Egyptian girl grabbed the school bag on the dresser and hurried out her door and to the top of the stairs, where Mokuba met her with a yawn.

"Morning, Kai-chan." Another yawn, louder than the first. "I hope you have fun at school, it being your first day and all."

Kairi smiled and ruffled his hair, before taking his hand and hurrying down the stairs and out the mansion doors. "Then, especially on my first day, I shouldn't be late!"

Mokuba laughed behind her, and as the two gathered into a limo (driven by Rai-san), Kairi took one last look at the mansion. She saw Kaiba watching them, and smiled faintly, giving him a wave. She got nothing in return, but she couldn't wipe the smile from her face even if she had tried.

Kaiba was relaxing on the couch when Mokuba and Kairi came home from school. He'd had a long day at the office, and was hoping to relax a little, but he knew with those two, he wouldn't be getting much of anything, let alone relaxation.

Sighing, Kaiba sat up, prepared to tell them to both go upstairs, but was met with only Mokuba. His kid brother looked slightly sad, and Kaiba stood to his feet, running a hand through his brown locks.

"What is it Mokuba?"

Mokuba looked to the stairs. "It's Kairi..." Kaiba raised an eyebrow. _How did I know that girl was involved? _"She was quiet. And...She didn't speak much. Nii-sama...Do you think something upset her at school?"

Kaiba sighed again, feeling older than he was. "Why don't you go ask her?"

Mokuba glared at him. "I did. She didn't say anything. Do you think she'd tell you? I mean, I am worried Nii-sama."

Kaiba knew it would involve him, but seeing his brother upset made him upset, so with great reluctance, Kaiba made his way up the stairs and to the source of all his problems. He opened the door to her room without knocking and closed it behind him.

Kairi was sitting on the bed and brushing her hair with slow, languid strokes. It was almost as if she were in a daze. "Hey, woman."

Nothing. She didn't even glance at him. This caused him to get slightly angry. _Jeez, this woman is infuriating._ "Kairi."

At her name, she blinked, and then turned so Kaiba could glimpse her face. He froze. _…...She's crying..._

Kairi's eyes were red, and small droplets ran down her cheeks. Slowly, she placed the brush on the bed, and looked down, squeezing her eyes shut. She didn't expect anything from him. Everyone...Everyone always left her...Didn't they?

Softly, a hand was placed upon her head. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked up to see Kaiba. He was looking to his right, at her dresser, but his hand was placed gently upon her head. This caused tears to well up within her eyes with more vigor.

"You don't have to go back to there if you don't want to. No one requires you to go to school. I'll have a tutor come and teach you if that would be better." His voice was rough, like always, but it didn't seem to bother Kairi.

For a moment, she was silent. Then, softly, "I'm sorry. People were...Mean." The tears came back. "Because I am different."

Kaiba finally looked down at the girl whose head was bowed. _For someone with such a bright smile, she's actually really sad isn't she? _

With a clang, the brush fell to the ground, interrupting any further thoughts from either party. Kairi reached down at the same time Kaiba bent down to grab it, and their hands brushed each other. Both of them froze, and then Kaiba retracted his hand and stood.

Kairi took the brush slowly, and placed it in her lap, taking a glance at Kaiba. He wasn't blushing, but he didn't look disgusted either.

When his eyes met hers, he told her, "Sleep. It will help." And then, he was gone.

Kairi placed the brush on the bed and lied down on her side, curling up and looking at the hand that touched Kaiba's moments before. _Kaiba...He's really a pretty nice guy, huh? _Letting a smile grace her lips, Kairi mumbled a soft thank you, and fell into oblivion.

***[Start Dream Sequence]***

_She ran, and she ran as fast as her legs would allow her. Clutched within her grasp was an object wrapped in a purple cloth. She panted, her lungs heaving, trying to get enough air intake. She stumbled, but dared not stop running._

_ Her feet were quick and silent on the sandy, stone ground of the pyramid. She raced through passage after passage, room after room. She didn't get too much farther, before she tripped, falling._

_ She hit the ground, and the object flew from her to land a few feet away, hidden in the shadows. For a moment, she wanted to give up. She wanted to lie there, and let the darkness get her... __**"...POWER..."**_

_ She started crying softly, letting the tears fall to the ground, but still, she rose to her feet. "I can't give up. Not yet! I must..." She picked up the object and clutched it to her chest. "Protect all I believe in. I will not give in to darkness! Not like...him..."_

_ She choked on the lump in her throat at the thought of __**him**__, but she started running again. She was almost there, she could feel it. Almost! A few more steps! _

_ "Iria..." She froze. _

_ The voice came from behind her, but she knew if she looked, she would not see __**him**__. But still, he could hear her. "...Why..."_

_ Silence, and she thought she might be hallucinating, but then, "For power. Give it to me. You cannot protect them. You will fail. So why not just give in now?"_

_ Iria considered it. What would she lose? A memory surfaced, of a little black haired girl laughing with a black haired boy. No, it wasn't for her...It never had been._

_ "I can't. No..." She clutched the object tighter. "I won't. I believe in you. I believe...I always have..."_

_ She cried, unafraid of the growing darkness, creeping slowly upon her. "And all for what? What has your belief in me done?"_

_ Iria turned, slowly, and gave a soft smile, tears running down her cheeks. "It has given me the power to say I love you. I do...I love you..."_

_ And then the darkness was screaming, running, and disappearing. "Foolish woman. Your love...Let it kill you..."_

_ She remained that way long after light filtered in the pyramid. "Yes, kill me it very well will...But I only hope...It saves you."_

_ And then she was running again, towards a future, a hope, a dream. She knew no matter how much she ran, she would never reach it...But still, she ran. She arrived at a room with a small, square altar. Here, she placed the object._

_ She watched as a pyramid of light enveloped the object, protecting it from the darkness that would come looking. "Without power...There cannot be happiness..."_

_ Iria fell to her knees, and cried. She sobbed loudly, broken and defeated. "Why! Why did you..." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Power...Does it mean that much to you...Do I...Mean so little?"_

_ She got no answer, but then, the darkness was not there to answer her. "Please protect my __treasure, please keep it safe...I love you...Anubis..."_

***[End Dream Sequence]***

Kairi awoke sometime later at night. Glancing around, she saw that it was past 3 in the morning and sighed. She felt she might get back to sleep if she got something to drink, so she made her way out of her door, yawning. Before she made it to the stairs, she saw a light on and Kaiba's door was open. Kaiba's door was **never **open.

Curious, Kairi crept towards the door and peeked inside. She smiled when she saw Kaiba. He was laying on his arms, asleep at a desk in his room. Papers were scattered around the desk, and his bed was made, suggesting he hadn't slept at all.

Softly, Kairi made her way over to him. He didn't snore, hell, he hardly made a sound. Slowly, Kairi reached out a hand to touch his hair. It was soft. Smiling, she made her way to his closet and pulled, from the top shelf, a blanket.

She placed the blanket over him and sat on his bed. She watched him sleep, thinking, _he's kinda cute when he's like that..._

Suddenly, she got drowsy, and felt like she was about to pass out. _Maybe I should...Just...Take a quick nap...Yeah, that sounds good._

And just like that, sleep enveloped her. Just like that, something began to grow between the two of them, something with no name, but many faces.


End file.
